


Episode Sixteen:  Sword and Saber Versus Poison

by keirajo



Series: Transformers: Star Voyager [17]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Combat, Redemption, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-04 02:14:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16337831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keirajo/pseuds/keirajo
Summary: Two swordsmechs go to the city of Nirvanah............stop me if you've heard this one!   Star Saber and Drift go to the city of warrior monks for one reason and emerge from it with new thoughts on their destinies.............





	Episode Sixteen:  Sword and Saber Versus Poison

**_Episode Sixteen:  Sword and Saber Versus Poison_ **

 

 

            While Hot Rod, Ultra Magnus and Blurr went to the city of Serenity to contact some of the planet’s leaders—Drift accompanied Star Saber to the city of Nirvanah, a city of religiously devout warriors.  Grotusque had remained on the _Star Voyager_ , while Override took Airrazor out exploring in the cities.   While the three from Corona were in Serenity doing their own thing, this was happening with Drift and Star Saber……….

            Nirvanah was a very beautiful city, even on a world nearly fully cyberformed.   Nirvanah had landscaped some of the remaining organic portions of the planet and made it blend seamlessly with the cyberformed city.   It was also clear that those who lived in the city cared deeply about maintaining the _harmony_ of the organic and the cyber mixture of its structure.

            “Dai was always talking about Nirvanah, it was the home he came from,” Star Saber chuckled as the two walked down a marvelously paved pathway towards a grand building.   “He actually helped me become better with the sword.  I think the only reason I’m as great a swordsmech as I am is because of him.”

            Drift nodded and smiled up at the old warrior.  “But you don’t have the religious devotion that he did, do you?”  The younger swordsmech asked, curiously.

            “I don’t think I _could_.  He _truly_ believed in Primus and the legends around him.   It seems to me you have a strong religious belief as well,” the red-and-blue warrior responded, gazing fondly down at the white-and-grey mech beside him.

            “My beliefs may be a bit strange and skewed.   I don’t see some of the things as black-and-white as most the primary religions think.   I think _both sides of the gods_ —whether Unicron’s side or Primus’—have things we can apply to our own lives,” Drift began, softly.  “The planet of Unicron that we saw at Fortess was a monster—but the ideal of the god of Unicron has realistic potential.   Chaos, itself, can be a force of change.   I suppose it is one thing to accept the teachings of the gods, through their prophets………….but to see their gods in a physical form is a different matter entirely.”

            “But it does not shake your faith to see that the real gods themselves may be just as wanton and destructive as us mortals?”  Star Saber asked, as they continued on down the paved path.

            “I grew up seeing death and destruction and the harshness of reality, so seeing that gods may be the same as us mortals doesn’t bother me,” the younger mech chuckled.   “How do we get the attention of the priests or whomever?”

            “ _That’s_ the easy part,” the old swordsmech laughed, drawing the sword from his back.   He held it up high in front of the door.  “ _Honored brethren!_    I am a friend and a former student of **_Dai Atlas_**!   He said to me that if I ever came to Sanctuary, to come to Nirvanah and seek your wisdom!”

            There were a very long few moments before the massive doors parted and a light guided the two mechs into the cathedral.   Drift and Star Saber walked down the long hallway, following the slowly pulsing light veins in the floor, guiding them to the main gathering room in the cathedral.   On a platform, below a great stained glass window, were a trinity of figures that were draped in shimmering robes.  On the left, a tall femme with a shimmering blue cloak stood………in the center was a shorter mech with a shining red robe…………and on the right was a tall mech with a rippling yellow cloak.   The femme’s derma was light grey and her armour had a color combination of magenta, yellow and dark blue.  The tall mech’s derma was dark grey and his armour was primarily white with striping of red and blue upon it—there were also glyphs, much like Drift’s, in the blue and red colors.   The shorter mech in the center looked so very young in comparison to his taller companions, his derma was white and his armour was black with purple striping and glyphs upon them.   The femme had no glyphs on her frame at all, but her blue cloak had a myriad of intricate patterns upon it—and her faceplate had some patterned marks around the optics and jawline in dark blue.

            “We extend greetings to you, friend and student of our treasured Dai Atlas,” the short mech in the center said, warmth in his vocalizer.  The tone was deeper than they expected from someone so very young.  “We are the _Guides of Nirvanah_ , we gave up our birth designations long ago to release ourselves from mortal worries.  You may address me as **_Garnet_** —after the jewel.  We have all chosen our new designations after such.”

            “I may be addressed as **_Sapphire_** ,” the tall femme responded, her voice soft and light.

            “You may call me **_Topaz_** ,” the tall mech added with a firm and even voice, nodding politely at the two of them.

            “The flames have shown us many things, including the arrival of _the chosen one_.   We are overjoyed that the chosen one has finally been found,” Garnet said, smiling down at them.  “Dai Atlas’ most recent student has found the _Flame of Eternity_.  Although he is young yet, his destiny shall be found very soon.   I hope that the two of you will continue guiding the Flame.”

            “Do you mean Hot Rod?”  Drift asked, dipping his shoulders at the trine, and then taking an excited step forwards.

            “ _That_ is his birth name?  **_Ah_** ,” Topaz chuckled, shaking his head lightly.   The warrior’s facial shield prevented a fairly obvious smile from being shown.

            “Has…………Dai Atlas been here _recently_?”  Star Saber asked, trying to keep up with their odd way of speaking.

            “ _Ah_ , that is right………..the soldiers were all split up,” Sapphire said with a gentle shake of her head.  “ _Forgive us_.  Sometimes we forget what the time is and things have blended upon themselves.   Dai Atlas chased one of those Decepticons here to Sanctuary and fought him for two million years.   Then…………..it occurred that Black Zarak used a very devious trick and used his student and lover as a hostage—it was then that Zarak took the advantage and was able to strike a killing blow against the great Dai Atlas.”

            “The young Roadfire took his lover and master’s sword and braced himself to fight against the Decepticon in Dai Atlas’ place,” Topaz said, firmly.  “He has been fighting for the past two million years and has stood firmly against the forces of darkness that Zarak has forged in Tranquility.  Until recently, he was injured and was given a vision—he went in search of the Flame of Eternity.   We do _worry greatly_ for Roadfire, he seems to be unable to fully accept Dai Atlas’ death.”

            “Do you suppose they were Spark-bonded?”  Drift said, softly, looking up at Star Saber.

            “It’s possible.  But Dai’s choice of religion did not allow such a thing.  It supposedly ruined the purity of your faith to _‘taint’_ your Spark with another’s,” Star Saber murmured.  He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed lightly as he tried to piece together everything.  Spark-bonding didn’t seem like something Dai Atlas _would_ do, though he would easily take a lover.   Dai’s type was a _mech_ (and he _preferred_ mechs over femmes) with spirit and could stand up to him with a blade—so if this _Roadfire_ had won Dai Atlas over, then he must be quite good with a blade.   “He may have gone the very old-style route though, if he felt he _wanted_ to bond— _data-interfacing_.   **_Nobody_** uses data-interfacing anymore, nobody has in like a billion years, so it _wouldn’t_ be against his religious rules,” the old swordsmech added, gazing down at Drift beside him.

            “You’re saying he looked for a loophole in his religion to form a bond?”  Drift laughed.  “I have never met this Dai Atlas, but already I _admire_ him!”  The younger warrior chuckled warmly.

            “There’s a _danger_ in that.  There’s no fracture and lingering pain, as there would be with a Spark-bond, but………….a program ghost of your partner can _linger forever_.  It can cause _mental issues_ ,” the older swordsmech said, softly.  “Not that it makes _bad_ mental issues, but…………it’s like you might catch them talking to themselves, because their partners’ program ghosts sweep over their programming and it _feels_ like their partner is really there.”

            “I can see why that would become an issue, but…………well, I hope that this Roadfire is on the better side of his mental issues, if this has become the case,” the younger swordsmech responded.

            “Honored mechs, may we have _your names_?”  Sapphire asked, tapping the blunt end of her naginata on the ground to get their attention.

            “ ** _Ah_**!  Oh yes,” Star Saber chuckled.  He bowed deeply at the waist and then looked back up at the trine.  “My name is **_Star Saber_** , I am from Meteor and served in Sentinel Prime’s Voyager Class unit with Dai Atlas.”

            “My current designation is **_Drift_** ,” the younger mech introduced, bowing deeply to them.  “I was born on Fortress, but I live on Corona now.”

            “Both of you have come from deep pains in your lives,” Garnet said, softly.   “It reverberates and permeates your programming, seeping into your Sparks.”  The small, younger mech turned to his companions and quietly discussed something with them.   Then he turned back to the two swordsmechs and dipped his shoulders politely.  “If it would be viable for your both, I should like to assign Sapphire and Topaz to speak with you _individually_ ………….apart from one another and in privacy.   Would **_this_** meet your needs by coming here?”  Garnet asked, tilting his head curiously.

            Both Drift and Star Saber had the same reaction, open mouths and a servo raised to speak, as if to explain that _wasn’t_ the reason they had both come there.  But………..in the end…………..maybe speaking and absolution was what they were _both_ seeking after all.   The two swordsmechs agreed to the parting.   Drift walked off with Topaz to a room on the right side of the gathering room, while Star Saber went with Sapphire to a room on the left side of the gathering room.

 

*      *      *      *      *

 

            “Young Drift………….what will you tell me, before I ask you to look into the flames and tell me what you see and feel?”  Topaz asked as the two mechs seated themselves at a low table.  Topaz knelt, easily folding his legs beneath him and flipping his cloak back behind him.

            Drift sat down, crosslegged, across from the tall mech, he wasn’t going to trust his joints to maintain the position Topaz had taken, for what may be a long period of time.   The white mech, with blue-and-red patterning, tilted his head and smiled over at the young swordsmech, placing his hands into his lap patiently.

            “Well…………I admit I’m not really sure _why_ I’m here.  I was curious to see warrior monks and Star Saber came to try and find some kind of ease for his Spark-break,” the grey-and-white mech chuckled softly, reaching up a servo and rubbing the back of his neck.   “But maybe now that I’m here, I can ask some questions or air some feelings that I can’t really share with the rest of the crew.   My birth designation is **_Deadlock_** , I changed it when I landed on Corona and had a chance at a _better life_ —I was born into the Decepticons and escaped from them.”

            “Ah.  _That_ explains the deep sense of loss and of anger within you,” Topaz responded, dimming his optics in respect of Drift’s discomfort.   “Do you miss the Decepticons in general…………or do you miss _someone_ from amongst the Decepticons?”  He asked.

            Drift began telling the Guide about Starscream, about how he had been raised…….eventually coming to the months before the great launch, to head out to find Cybertron and for Megatron to conquer the colonies.   The anger surged within him as he remembered Megatron telling Starscream he intended to see Nightbird and Deadlock Spark-bonded at the day of launch.    And he remembered the fury within his mentor when Megatron had left the ship that served as Starscream’s habitation block—which was now the _Star Voyager_ he was travelling upon with his friends and loved ones.   To say that, despite all the changes they made to it, the ship didn’t ignite memories both good and bad within him would be lying to himself and others.   That day, not so long ago, Starscream had been in a form of rage that Deadlock had _never_ seen…………..and that was what made him run away, he had been scared of the mech who practically raised him.

            “It’s…………… _I don’t know_.  I think Starscream was very stressed out by Megatron.  I think he was angry that he was stuck following an _‘uncouth barbarian’_ , when he had originally been swayed by Liege Maximo’s idea of freedom that had originally forged the _Decepticon Movement_ ,” Drift explained, staring at the table in front of him.   “On Cybertron, those with aerial modes were _very rare_ when Starscream came online and……………they tended to get slotted-into jobs that they might not necessarily want.   He never shared all the details of his past, but I got the feeling that on Cybertron—he was going to be put into a job that would’ve _separated him from his trine_.  That was why he joined the Decepticon Movement.”

            “Would they really separate bonded mechs or femmes like that on Cybertron?”  Topaz asked, curiously.

            “I can’t know for certain, even Magnus was unaware of his world outside of the Voyager Class unit,” the young swordsmech answered.   “But I do understand that politicians sometimes look at the broadest possible view of society and don’t realize how they affect the individuals when they make rules and regulations.”

            “Yes, this is _definitely true_ ,” the tall, white mech chuckled, nodding at Drift.  “You briefly mentioned you had begun a relationship with this Magnus and the one we call the Flame of Eternity, the designated Hot Rod.  But you sound a little sad and a little wary when you speak of this relationship.  Are you, deep within your Spark, _unhappy_ with this relationship with them?”  He inquired, reaching across the table to clasp Drift’s servos in a consoling manner.

            “ ** _What_**?   _No, of course not_!   It’s………… _just_ …………if all of this becomes true—Hot Rod’s destiny is to help Primus confront Unicron— _will he still be alive at the end_?   Is it worth forging this relationship any further, when Magnus and I have to give him up at the end of everything?”  Drift said, his words sounding sharper to him than he’d meant them to.   But he did not pull his servos from Topaz’s grip.   “And…………..Magnus and Hot Rod have loved each other since Hot Rod came online, pretty much.  I’ve loved him for scarcely a year.  If **_I_** feel like this………….what could Magnus possibly feel like, if he thought of all these things as I have?”

            “You worry for the future of the ones you love, this makes your anger and your regret—already set in your Spark—seem sharper and causes deeper wounds within the more you think about them,” the tall Guide murmured, leaning across the table and pulled Drift forwards to touch their helms to one another with kindness.

            Drift didn’t pull away from this gentle gesture either.  He was surprised that he didn’t, but he honestly believed he felt comfortable and fully at ease here in this cathedral.  It made his Spark flutter that a complete stranger was showing him such outright kindness, even given what he’d just explained to the tall, white mech.

            “You’ve placed **_promises_** upon your frame— _redemption_ is the boldest promise in your glyphs, and you’ve placed the glyphs for _hope_ within the shadows of redemption,” Topaz said, unclasping Drift’s servos and reaching over one servo to point at the areas of patterning on his frame where glyphs for “ _redemption_ ” were overlapped on glyphs for “ _hope_ ”.   “You repeat this overlaid set of promises many times upon your frame.  Do you worry that you _cannot_ find your redemption, thus you write it out so desperately—hoping that _it will find you_ instead?”  He asked, carefully choosing his words.

            Drift’s optics went wide beneath their blue tempered-glass coverings.   But as he glanced at Topaz’s frame, he saw the _promises_ laid upon the white……….in red and blue.   His red glyphs— ** _red_** signified _devotion_ and the glyphs were the names of Primus and of Unicron.  That probably meant that, like Drift believed in the gods, the _teachings of the gods_ were important to Topaz—whether they were the teachings of Chaos or of Order.  **_Topaz was devoted to the ways of the gods._**    His **_blue_** glyphs………….blue signified _teaching_ or _guiding_ and the glyphs were varying in the shade of blue—glyphs that were labelled as _students, lovers, children_ and _elders_.  So it probably meant that the tall, white mech treasured **_teaching everyone_** the ways of the gods he was so devoted to.  His glyphs and colors were bold and straightforward—unlike Drift’s which were vague and desperate.

            “I _think_ …………..maybe I am.   I worry that I _can’t_ be redeemed at all,” Drift finally whispered, folding his servos in his lap and turning his gaze down to the edge of the table in front of him.  “Until I met Hot Rod………I may not have even put the glyphs of hope on my frame— _he is the only reason I have hope_.”

            “Have you _killed_?”  Topaz asked, very seriously.

            “There is blood on my Spark, _yes_ ,” Drift whispered, shaking his head.   “Amongst the Decepticons, it was _kill or be killed_ —far more often than not.   Which was actually pretty dumb strategically, considering Megatron clearly forgot he needed an army to conquer the colonies.”

            “ _Mmmm_ ,” the tall white mech murmured.  Then he struck a flame in the center pit of the table.   “Young Drift, look into the flames and relax………….talk about what you see and feel.”

            “I can never see flames anymore without thinking of Hot Rod—so young and so vibrant………….. _and so very full of life_ ,” the young swordsmech chuckled, his optics turning down towards the flickering flames in the center pit of the table.   He brought his body into a state of relaxation and just let the words flow from him………..

            Meanwhile, in another room, Star Saber was having a vaguely similar conversation with the tall femme, Sapphire…………..

            “On Meteor, things are a lot _different_ for us.   Our environment shaped us and the way we are—the way we mature and the way we bond.  It’s like that on _all of the colonies_ —we adapted and changed, it’s become our nature, like why we even have alt modes.   And **_our bonds_** are our greatest thing—they allow us to achieve more power and more wisdom………..and more maturity,” Star Saber said to the tall magenta-yellow-blue femme.   “It’s _difficult_ for other colonies to understand this particular concept.   And maybe Des and I aren’t the very best examples of Meteorians.”

            “Explain to me more about _the bonding_ and what it does for you Meteorians,” Sapphire responded, folding her hands into her lap and smiling at the swordsmech.

            “When we choose our _lifepartner_ —our **_sparkmate_** ………..we don’t just Spark-bond, we bond our entire frames and **_become one_** ,” Star Saber explained.   “I have seen some mechs and femmes who have partnered with a group to merge into a single frame and what we have is somewhat _similar to that_ —except we **_truly become one_**.   We can _separate_ into our original frames, but _after_ we become one frame—our personalities merge and _even when we are two, **we are still one**_.   Does _that_ make sense?”  He asked, looking up at Sapphire, from where he’d been staring at the surface of the table.

            “ _Yes_.  I believe it does.  I have met some of these partnership teams, where they can merge into a single frame…………and for the most part, they all still have their own originality, just that they all tend to live together and _be together_ ,” she responded, nodding sagely.  “If I am to understand you, once Meteorians make this _final bond_ into a single frame—you are _never individuals_ again and your own originality is gone.  You are two of the _same organism_ now, correct?”   She asked, re-stating his explanation of the _lifebonding_ on Meteor.

            “ _Yes_.   Now…………..Deszaras and I _were_ Spark-bonded, but………..we _never finalized_ our bonding into a single frame,” Star Saber explained.   “This sometimes caused problems for the both of us, but as individuals with special frames given to us by Sentinel Prime……………we chose to put the needs of our team before ourselves.”

            “Does this make the breaking of your Spark-bond feel worse or feel less?”  Sapphire inquired, reaching for his servos and just gently laying hers atop of his.

            “I feel…………. _just_ …………… ** _inexplicably empty_**.  And like my future was stolen from me,” the older swordsmech sighed, his shoulders drooping.   “But……………if things hadn’t happened as they did— _would_ we have even have chosen to separate from the Voyager Class unit and bond as we _should have_?”   He murmured, staring at the hands over his.   “The thing is—just like pretty much all of the members of the unit—Des and I were orphans and we didn’t even know each other until Sentinel Prime took us in and raised us.   Our Prime was very intuitive and he could sense those with special abilities or skills—or even an unyielding personality—when no one else could.   Out of all the orphans on Meteor, our Prime chose Deszaras and I.”

            “So, you are convinced you would have _chosen the unit_ over each other in the end, aren’t you?”  The tall femme inquired, pulling her hands away and folding them back into her lap, beneath the edge of the table.

            “ _Yeah._   And what does that say about **_me_**?   And……………would Des have chosen the same?   We were never given the chance to find out…………..so the unanswered questions in my life just dig into my Spark,” the red-and-blue swordsmech sighed softly.

            “Tell me about the child you found on Gaea,” Sapphire said, smiling warmly at him.

            When he began talking about Airrazor and what had happened on Gaea—and how she had fallen into his care, Sapphire saw warmth alight in Star Saber’s frame and heard fondness tone his voice.   It was clear that he had _picked up an orphan_ —as his precious Prime had done with him—and came to quickly care for her and her future.

            “If you could hear your own voice as you tell me this, you would understand why you’ve chosen to live—even when you think you should join your beloved Deszaras in death,” Sapphire said, firmly.  “Did you _love_ your Prime?  It need not be a passionate love or anything as such…………but Sentinel Prime was clearly such a big influence in your life.   Everything that you’ve become, has mirrored everything you’ve said when you’ve spoken about your beloved Prime.”

            Star Saber looked up at her in surprise.   It’s strange, but that’s something he always felt to be true of _Ultra Magnus_ —he knew it was obvious how **_Magnus_** felt about Sentinel Prime.  But maybe it was true………….maybe because Sentinel Prime took them all in—maybe _everyone_ in the Voyager Class unit loved their Prime in some way or another?   And Magnus had been the first one of all of them to care for a sparkling—perhaps not an orphaned sparkling, but the youngest among them had followed their Prime and cared for a child already.   And he knew that Deszaras had become _intimate_ with everyone, likely because of the unfulfilled bond—he felt a strange emptiness inside of him that he could never fill, so he filled it with fragging everyone on the team as often as he could.   He tried to find a way to fill the emptiness of that unfulfilled bonding that Meteorians **_needed_** …………..because as long as someone was fragging him, someone was with him intimately.

            And Star Saber just let his longing seep through him.  Watching Des take everyone who came at him enflamed him with jealousy, but he _couldn’t_ blame his sparkmate—he knew how it felt, the _unfulfilled bond_.   And, instead, Star Saber became clingy with everyone.  Just tried to spend time with everyone, even when it was clear they’d rather be alone.   Maybe that was why he had been so happy when Dai Atlas offered to teach him how to use a sword?   Because one person was going to pay attention to him, as he “ _needed_ ” to have.

            “You have grown beyond the biological imperatives that your planet has infused you with, don’t you think?   You lived so long without that unfulfilled bonding, that you’ve become _able to live_ without it,” Sapphire said, voicing his thoughts, it seemed like.   “And now, it is up to you, to find your own way that you want to live on beyond having Deszaras at your side or in your Spark and programming.”

            “You know what?   I think you’re right,” Star Saber chuckled, softly.  Airrazor still needed him— _at least for a little while longer_.  Magnus wanted him to be with the crew of the _Star Voyager_ , because he wanted a friend and a familiar face.

            And Drift was right…………… _Hot Rod had a destiny_.

 

*      *     *     *     *

 

            “Before you go—the both of you……………I have a special gift for you both,” Garnet said as his two fellow Guides brought the two swordsmechs back into the atrium of the cathedral.  He had two long bundles, wrapped in thick silk sheets, tied with ribbons that had glyphs attached to them.   The young mech was much shorter than Star Saber in his bulky Voyager Armour, but he was still even short compared to Drift—barely coming up to the white-and-grey mech’s chestpiece of his armour.

            Garnet smiled up at Drift and handed a red silk bundle to the younger swordsmech.  “ _This_ is for you—the ribbon proclaims it so……..” he said, grinning and looking like the youth that he actually was for the first time.  Then he looked up at Star Saber and handed the blue silk bundle to the older swordsmech.  “And _this one_ is for you, as the ribbon proclaims……..” he said, smiling happily.

            Drift looked at the glyphs on the ribbon……………they said “ _beloved of flames_ ” upon them, in repeated glyphs along its length.   Well, he supposed that was true—he knew that Hot Rod really liked him a lot.  The younger mech chuckled and brought an end of the ribbon up to his lips in a warm gesture of fondness.   Star Saber’s ribbon, around the blue silk bundle, said “ _survivor of the broken_ ”—it was an awkward phrasing, but the older mech knew it referred to his broken Spark-bond and that he had survived and wished to now live.  These ribbons were _not_ freshly made—the ribbons were **_aged_** and these bundles had been wrapped **_long ago_** , certainly _before_ Drift had been born and perhaps even long before Star Saber himself had been born.

            _Truly this was part of fate and destiny._

            Together, the two swordsmechs unwrapped their bundles to find beautiful swords beneath the layers of colored silk.  The swords looked to be forged of a metal neither had seen ever before, they were gleaming and suited to the length of their individual frames—though in Star Saber’s instance, it was in comparison to his Voyager Armour’s frame.   Star Saber’s had a jeweled orb in the hilt of the blade, which was a shimmering sapphire, while Drift’s had a jeweled orb that was a fiery ruby.

            “I think I shall need a sheath on my back for this one,” Drift chuckled.

            Topaz held up a servo and then brought out a perfectly designed sheath.  “If you do not mind, it should only take a few moments to attach it?”  The tall mech chuckled.  Drift nodded at him and turned around for the Guide.

            “I shall leave this _old one_ with you, then—so that it may rest peacefully after such a devoted life to me,” Star Saber said, gently wrapping his original blade in the blue silk and handing it to Sapphire when she reached her servos out for it.   He slid the new blade into the sheath on his back and felt its weight as if it were perfectly designed for him.   Maybe the gods really did exist after all—if they could make a blade for him before he were even born?

            Suddenly a rumble shook the cathedral.

            “It looks as though Zarak has come here looking for Roadfire—his new nemesis—rather than awaiting the mech going to him,” Garnet said with a deep sigh.   “Sapphire, Topaz………..alert the elite guards, if they haven’t already scrambled.   You two may try to get out of here during the chaos of the conflict.”

            “ ** _Pfft_** ,” Star Saber muttered with a chuckle.  “Do you seriously think I would back out of a fight—especially against someone who has killed one of my friends?”

            Drift grinned, showing his sharpened denta and punched a fist into a servo, as he’d seen Hot Rod do to psych himself up many times.   “And do you think _I’d_ let a Decepticon get away with hurting my _new friends_?”  The younger swordsmech laughed warmly.

            “Then your skills are welcomed,” Garnet responded with a warm smile at them both.

            Star Saber and Drift rushed for the entrance doors of the cathedral and slipped into the waves of combat easily.  Drift drew the swords at his hips and cut a swath through the soldiers that obviously belonged to Black Zarak’s army—with their false Decepticon badges.  Only Megatron or Liege Maximo had the right to grant the brand to any new Decepticons—and the fact that Zarak had done so with his forced or hired legions, _it made Drift angry_.   Star Saber did not draw his new sword yet, but showed he was truly a member of Sentinel Prime’s elite fighting unit with his skills in combat—using only his legs and arms to punch and kick enemies out of his way with a ferocity unmatched.

            By the time the two swordsmechs came up to where Black Zarak was directing his army, at the rear of all the combat of course, they had finally drawn the new greatswords from their backs and were ready to face the powerful Decepticon.  Zarak pulled a giant lance from subspace and stood ready to face the two swordsmechs.   For a very brief moment, the scene was silent and almost like something out of a movie—the type that Hot Rod _loved to watch_ ………..then Drift rushed, his body held low and compact, as Star Saber leapt high into the air, to come down on top of the Decepticon.

            Zarak tried to keep optics on both of them, but focused more on Star Saber—aware that a Voyager Class soldier was not called “ _elite_ ” without reason.   And, perhaps **_that_** was the mistake that led to his downfall……….for he had no idea how vicious a Decepticon born on Fortress could possibly be!   As the large and powerful Decepticon’s lance blocked Star Saber’s mighty swings of the greatsword he held—Drift cut and slashed at leg and knee joints swiftly.   Zarak was down on the ground before he could use his poison-tipped spear to even make a single cut on the two skillful swordsmechs.

            “ ** _Mercy!_**    I cry mercy, _please_!”  Black Zarak whined as his lance was kicked far out of the way and the two stood above him with greatswords ready to issue the final blow to him.

            Star Saber wavered first, the lift of his greatsword drooping, and…………thus…………he missed Zarak’s long tail-appendage—for his scorpion alt mode’s form—trying to perform a leg sweep.   Drift thrust his greatsword through the tail-appendage fiercely, pinning it into the ground.   And then Star Saber refocused and brought his greatsword back up to the ready, scowling fiercely.

            “ _Ha!_    Now you are _weaponless_ , you foolish youth!”  Zarak chortled, making a grab towards Drift—who had his hip-level swords out in a flash and cut off the Decepticon’s arm without even a first thought, much less a second one.

            “You call yourself a **_‘Decepticon’_**?   You don’t even know what a _‘Decepticon’_ is………….you are **_poison_** , corrupting the path that Liege Maximo originally devised for the _Decepticon Cause_.   You are as bad as Megatron, destroying all that _the Movement_ was meant to be,” Drift said, his voice even and holding no emotion whatsoever, as his optics glowed fiercely with his devotion to his own warrior’s path that he learned from the teacher he held dear to his Spark.

            “Don’t speak as if you understand the ways of the Decepticons!”  Zarak snarled.

            “Don’t believe that Liege Maximo didn’t have a purpose in his rebellion—he was following the _way of Unicron_ , sowing chaos and rebellion in order to bring a new government to birth on Cybertron!”  Drift snapped back, crossing his blades at the base of Black Zarak’s neck cabling.   “The Decepticons are done with you.  And so is this life— _enjoy the Afterspark_ ,” the young swordsmech said, slicing off the powerful Decepticon’s head before Star Saber could even stop him.

            “Are you all right, Drift?”  Star Saber asked in concern, as he heard the younger mech ventilating heavily after his execution of the Decepticon.

            “ _Yes_.  I’m sorry that I lost it right there.  _I thought_ ………………I thought Deadlock was gone, but he’s _not_.  The vicious brat I used to be is still buried inside of me somewhere.  **_I hate it_**.  I _need_ Magnus and Hot Rod………… _I want us to **become a trine** so that I can stop stumbling down that path that I want **to be free** from_ ………..” Drift whispered, softly.

            Star Saber reached over and rubbed Drift’s helm fondly, being very careful of the helm’s pointed finials.

**Author's Note:**

> The concept for the colonists of Meteor, as Star Saber explains it, comes from some of the G1 offshoots of the Micromasters--which I believe might have been the basis for IDW's colonists of Devisun in the comic and their linked Sparks--where two Micromasters (later called "Minicons" by the franchise) combined to form a single robot. I felt that rather than just a linked Spark as the comic used (though, granted, they delved into virtually NOTHING about the colony of Devisun, which has also been spelled as "Devishun" and "Devisen" in the comic)--it's a true merging of programs. I thought it would be good to explain it here, before we get to Meteor, since Star Saber's from Meteor.
> 
> Fun fact though.............Star Saber in the original Japanese anime is from a planet called "Master"--which is supposedly where all the Headmasters, Targetmasters, Brainmasters, Breastforce and so forth are all from in the Japanese anime version of the TF universe. Well, except or the Junior Headmasters, Ginrai and all the "masters" in "Masterforce". and we won't get into that right now. XD On the planet Master, they are all Micromasters/Minicons...........hence why I chose to make Star Saber from the colony of Meteor here.
> 
> The next episode will be a finale on Sanctuary and a short trip to Leviathan--with an explosive cliffhanger that you all won't want to miss! :)


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